University of Nebraska running back Ameer Abdullah had a two yard touchdown run as part of the Cornhuskersâ€™ 17-14 win at Penn State this past weekend. This was a controversial and heavily scrutinized game as it marked Penn Stateâ€™s first game without long-time head coach Joe Paterno who was let go earlier in the week amidst a school scandal.

The 5 foot 9 inch Abdullah is a versatile athlete from Alabama who uses his breakaway speed to be a running and receiving threat for the Nittany Lions. He also returns kicks, including a 100 yard return for a touchdown earlier this season.

At Alabamaâ€™s Homewood High Abdullah rushed for 1,800 yards and 24 touchdowns and caught 33 passes for 515 yards during his senior season. He also scored four touchdowns as a punt return specialist. His play helped Homewood to a 6-4 record in the Alabama Class 6A ranks. Abdullah was named the south region player of the year by the Birmingham News and also scored the winning touchdown in the Alabama-Mississippi All-Star Classic in December. He also was selected to participate in the Offense-Defense All-American Bowl, where he impressed with his ability as a defensive back.

During his junior season, Abdullah rushed for better than 1,000 yards and had 24 receptions for more than 200 yards. Rivals.com ranked Abdullah as one of the top 20 â€œathleteâ€ prospects in the country and one of the top 10 players in the state of Alabama. Scout.com also ranked him as one of the nationâ€™s top 60 running backs. Abdullah chose Nebraska after also visiting Tennessee and Vanderbilt, and he had a host of offers including the University Southern California, Texas A&M and South Carolina. Ameer is the son of Kareem and Aisha Abdullah, and he was born on June 13, 1993.